. >> i wanted to ask you about the current arguments about the fiscal cliff. and your perspective as senior editor who has seen so many of these negotiations in the past. mitch mcconnell's office issued a state, it's a negative one indeed. he says, in part that today they took -- they meaning the white house -- took a step backward moving away from consensus significantly closer to the cliff delaying again the real balanced solution that this crisis requires. of course we'll see a lot of posturing from both sides. are you persuaded that the administration needs to, and is prepared to do enough, on the medicare side, on the entitlement side, as well as getting these revenues, you know, from the republicans, concessions that speaker boehner says are on the table? >> well, i think the question of what's enough is a big question. but i have felt that both sides were going to be turning some toward the middle and the congress was going to catch up with the citizenry on all of this. i mean i am not -- i cannot possibly be described as a deeply informed about the fis